Removable tread belt pneumatic tires, which are the subject of the method of the present invention, are typically very large tires having a 10 foot outside diameter (OD). These very large tires are designed for use on very large vehicles, generally off-the-road (OTR) vehicles such as earthmovers and large-capacity mining trucks (e.g., 300 short tons or more). As modem construction vehicles have evolved to larger and larger sizes, their tires have also grown to the point where conventional shipping of the tires becomes difficult. For example, an existing design of a 360-ton truck requires pneumatic tires having a 150 to 154 inch diameter, which is considered to be the maximum size tire reasonably possible to ship by conventional means in the United States. Tire weight is another consideration, as very large tires can weigh 8,000 to 15,000 pounds or more per un-mounted tire.
When pneumatic tires become so large that they cannot be shipped by conventional means, one solution to this problem is to utilize a two piece tire wherein the tire tread belt is removable from the tire carcass. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 6,357,498 entitled TIRE WITH REMOVEABLE TIRE TREAD BELT AND IMPROVED APEX DESIGN, having a common assignee with the present invention, which discloses a tire having an improved removable tire tread belt for use on large earthmover vehicles. The use of a two piece tire design produces significant weight and size reductions, thereby allowing the use of conventional shipping means.
Thus, there is still a need for an improved method of shipping very large tires that allows for the employment of more conventional shipping means, and that reduces the work site storage requirements as well.